{"id":265,"date":"2017-02-03T22:10:23","date_gmt":"2017-02-04T03:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rachel\/?p=265"},"modified":"2017-02-03T22:10:23","modified_gmt":"2017-02-04T03:10:23","slug":"getting-cozy-at-iowa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rachel\/2017\/02\/getting-cozy-at-iowa\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Cozy at Iowa"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019re familiar with the weather patterns of this fabulous state, you know that you need to be prepared for anything. One morning in the winter, you could wake up to sunny skies and temperatures high in the 40s to 50s with the hopes of having a decent walk to your classes on campus. But wait! Just kidding! As soon as you leave your afternoon lecture, you see that there\u2019s a torrential\u00a0downpour and realize you\u2019ve left your umbrella in your closet. Again.<\/p>\n

As an Iowa native, I\u2019ve come to terms with the inconsistency of our climate but I\u00a0still<\/strong>\u00a0find myself in the worst situations with this weather. You\u2019d think by now I\u2019d learn to check my weather app before leaving my room (or even take a peek out the window), but when I\u2019m running late to class, that\u2019s the last thing on my mind.<\/p>\n

Lately, it\u2019s been extremely cold on campus. Not necessarily snowy or rainy, just nasty, the-air-hurts-my-face cold. I\u2019m generally very chilly at all times, even in heated buildings,\u00a0so when it comes to getting cozy, I feel like I know a thing or two.<\/p>\n

First, there are the obvious things like sweaters, fuzzy socks, and fleece-lined leggings to get me through a cold day, but I\u2019ve found that having the right outerwear\u00a0really<\/strong>\u00a0makes a difference.<\/p>\n

In high school, I remember always going for the \u201ccuter\u201d option when running out of the house in the winter. My outerwear usually involved wearing a sweatshirt, the knit sweater I was wearing with my outfit already, or no coat at all. I realize now that this was a really dumb move on my part, and is probably why my knuckles would get so dry that they bled from not wearing gloves. However, thinking back on it now, I had the luxury of a vehicle for transportation to and from my education and now all I\u2019ve got is a crowded cambus (if I\u2019m lucky) and whatever I put on myself.<\/p>\n

Since the winter of my senior year, I\u2019ve started to care less about how cute I looked in my outerwear and began to focus on comfort and warmth. For Christmas that year, the majority of my gifts were things to help prepare me for walking to class in the cold and they\u2019ve honestly saved my life (that might be a little dramatic, but it feels too true).<\/p>\n

I was going to make a post before the Holidays explaining all the things you should put on your wish-list in order to prepare for college in the midwest, but shopping for outerwear right now is more ideal. Most stores are putting all of their coats on sale in order to prepare for spring so get out there and catch those deals on these necessities\u00a0while you still can!<\/p>\n

Parka<\/h2>\n

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First, you NEED to have a winter coat that goes below your waist. I\u2019ve felt so #blessed to be warm all they way down to my knees while walking to class, and I know I\u2019m not the only one who owns a long, down-filled coat who feels this way. All of my outerwear is from a Banana Republic outlet store so unfortunately, they\u2019re not available anymore. However, I\u2019ve done some research and found some similar products for you guys to check out if you haven\u2019t done your college-winter-wear shopping yet! This mid-length one from Columbia looks just like mine, and is on sale right now, too!<\/p>\n

WOMEN\u2019S SNOW ECLIPSE\u2122 MID JACKET<\/a><\/p>\n

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Rain Coat<\/h2>\n

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Although this item won\u2019t particularly help with warmth, it\u2019ll surely come in handy on those days when you actually know it\u2019s going to be raining. Finding a super cute raincoat is great for the spring and rainy fall days. I like mine so much I often layer it to give more dimension to some of my outfits. This one from Macy\u2019s is on sale right now and I love the fitted waist.<\/p>\n

Style & Co. Hooded Anorak Jacket<\/a><\/p>\n

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Vest<\/h2>\n

\"\"Including a lined vest in my college wardrobe made for a really great piece to layer with any outfit. In the fall, I found myself pairing this with simple long sleeved t-shirts, but it also looks extremely cute on top of flannels. This is a piece you can dress-up, dress-down, and layer on top of or underneath virtually anything. I actually think this one from Abercrombie is cuter than mine and I\u2019m seriously considering purchasing this one for myself!<\/p>\n

FLEECE QUILTED VEST<\/a><\/p>\n

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Snow Boots<\/h2>\n

\"\"Alright,\u00a0now, this is the perfect example of why practicality and comfort sometimes need to be put above style. It gets really slick and snowy here in Iowa, so having a durable pair of snowshoes to put on before walking to class is 100% essential. These Totes boots are lined with a warm, fluffy, fabric and never fail to keep my toes warm.<\/p>\n

TOTES ELLEN SHOW BOOTS<\/a><\/p>\n

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Rain Boots<\/h2>\n

\"\"As cute as Hunter rainboots are, they can get pretty pricey. My mom is the queen of finding good deals and introduced me to these adorable rain boots by the brand Chooka and they come at such a great price. The brown accents make these black boots easy to pair with any outfit and I love them so much!<\/p>\n

Chooka Top Solid Rain Boot<\/a><\/p>\n

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Gloves, Scarves, ETC.<\/h2>\n

\"\" \"\"The additional accessories I include in my walking attire are almost as important as the big pieces, I think. I\u2019m a huge fan of hats and beanies so when I randomly found this sparkly, knit IOWA hat at my local HyVee grocery store, I couldn\u2019t help myself. I love when I\u2019m shopping and little, unexpected surprises like that catch my eye.<\/p>\n

Socks have recently become a huge obsession of mine and I love incorporating cute crew socks with my sneakers in order to keep my ankles warm. These were gifted to me by a friend, but you can find knit crew socks literally anywhere.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t really tell, but the huge knit scarf I\u2019m wearing is from Old Navy. They sell really nice, cheap scarves and so do places like The Gap and Target.<\/p>\n

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Finally, the gloves I\u2019m wearing were gifted to me by my boyfriend\u2019s mom and I couldn\u2019t be more thankful for them! They\u2019re a really nice, heavy duty pair from the brand Isotoner with touch screen finger tips and lined with fleece on the inside. Investing in quality gloves will save your hands from the harsh winter air and these have been such a great addition to my daily winter wear.<\/p>\n

Isotoner Women\u2019s Nylon SmarTouch Winter Texting Gloves<\/a>\u00a0in Concord Grape<\/p>\n

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Of course, the final thing I use to get cozy in the winter is a nice cup of coffee. A new coffee shop just opened up on Clinton street, called Cortado, and I absolutely love it.<\/p>\n

\"\"My roommate, Celia, works here and I always visit her when she\u2019s got a shift. The atmosphere is incredible, the prices are similar to (or often cheaper than) Starbucks and it\u2019s closer to the heart of campus than Starbucks, too (therefore, less time walking in the cold). They sell a variety of coffee, pastries and even have a breakfast and lunch menu. My favorite drink is the Mochaccino, but I\u2019ve also gotten the caramel latte a few times and indulged in a chocolate espresso muffin one morning.<\/p>\n

Hours: 7:00 AM \u2013 6:00 PM<\/p>\n

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